If you have ever planned a wedding or been involved in one, you will probably recall that terrible feeling in the pit of your stomach when you ask “how much is this going to cost.”

I know that there is a perception out there that the mere mention of the 7 letter word is going to push prices up 20% – 40%. But is this real or more of an urban myth?

At the end of the day, does it really cost any more to make something for a wedding than it does for a casual client? My belief is the answer is NO.

When we make a wedding ring, it doesn’t cost any more than someone who wondered in, looking to purchase the same thing to celebrate their one year anniversary. There are a number of elements that go together to make a wedding ring. You have the amount of gold or platinum used, the diamonds, the jeweller’s time to craft the ring and the setting cost of putting the diamonds into the ring. At the end of the day, if one ring costs more, then it is usually because there were more cost elements added into the equation.

 

The only exception that I can see in the wedding industry is that there may be some wedding business that needs to factor in some extra allowances because of the nature of their business. For example a wedding dress maker may need multiple consultations through the fitting process. Or a wedding florist may need to allow extra for the delivery of the flowers at a remote location or outside of normal business hours.

Of course you should always do your research. It is not always about the cheapest price, because there is always some willing to do it cheaper (even if it isn’t a better finished product). If you are paying more for one particular product, you want to make sure you are actually getting a better finished result. Look at reviews on Google to make sure that the business you are about to engage with has a good track record of happy clients.

There is really no reason that it should not cost more just because you mention the 7 letter word. Certainly if you find a wedding vendor that is trying to capitalise on the celebration of your wedding than you should definitely walk the other way.

If you would like help, in choosing the perfect engagement or wedding ring, there is a lot of great information in my recently published book, “Rock Her World”